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“I hate to let him into where we’re staying like that, but Tracey’s helped me out a lot and for decades,” I explained to Mason. “I’m basically a councilwoman and never told him except I wasn’t yet technically and yeah, so this isn’t something to pull rank on or bring him into corporate.”
“I agree. Handle it how you feel is best, Jasmine, and I’ll back you. I just don’t want you to meet anyone alone right now. Everything is way too volatile for that.”
I completely agreed with that, and while Mason wasn’t any match for Tracey physically, he was a force to be reckoned with because of his magic, and that made him great backup… Especially since the other person wouldn’t ever know it.
Ten minutes later, I was bringing Tracey through the portal into the villa.
“Things got so fucked so fast recently with coming out as a council before we were ready that I needed to get a full-time ‘me’ with what I was doing,” I told Tracey when he locked in on Mason and gave me a shit look. “He’s also my lover, but he’s complicated like we are, so don’t dig into him, okay? I’m not hiding him from you like I am from others because I trust you, but don’t pull this thread.”
“Fair,” he agreed, offering his hand to Mason when Mason came over. “Tracey. Glad I could get you a better ID.”
“Yes, that’s not my forte, so I greatly appreciate it. Jasmine speaks very highly of your work and integrity. I was fine with you coming into our home then.”
Tracey shot me a surprised look. “You guys live together?” He winced when I couldn’t squash what I was feeling fast enough. “Shit, sorry.”
I nodded. “Yeah, things spun out.”
“You live long enough and everyone has a mental breakdown. I’ve got about fifty years on you from what I’m guessing your age is. I’ve had a couple too.” He cleared his throat and thanked Mason when the warlock offered him coffee. “I actually had one a few years ago, and that was part of what Gino came after me about. Some other shit too. It’s…”
“Fucking asshole. I seriously want to put him in the ground, but the fucker went underground, and we’ve been a bit too busy.”
Tracey accepted the coffee from Mason and let out a slow breath. “Seriously, tell me what the fuck is going on. Are you—which are you really?”
“Jasmine,” I said gently and then let out a slow breath.
And then I told him. Not everything but everything he needed to know.
When I was done, we were on another cup of coffee and Tracey just let out a long whistle.
Yeah, that about summed it up pretty fucking accurately.
“I want to come out of the cold,” Tracey said after several minutes of settling with what I’d told him, nodding when it was my turn to be shocked. “I’ve talked with a few of my team and they’re of the same opinion. A few of my extra contractors that I’ve used for this job with you have hinted that they plan on asking for a full-time gig with you guys and they’re going to ask me for a referral.”
I thought about that a bit too long, Tracey’s desires hitting me hard. “Yes. My answer is yes. Sorry, I’m thinking about something a senior VP said and how I could orchestrate this.” I glanced over at Mason.
“What are you thinking of, muffin?” He studied me and then nodded. “Smart.”
“You won’t be offended?”
“No, not in the slightest. I don’t care about the title or rank.”
That was a relief. I focused back on Tracey. “Mason might have more experience—I don’t know whose dick is bigger here, but he is radioactive. Like nuclear radioactive, so he has to stay in the dark. You don’t. You have trouble but—”
“Yeah, ‘trouble’ is a bit of an understatement, and it’s getting worse with—”
“We’re not just the demon council. We’re the German government,” I informed him, dropping the last big bomb I would on him. I chuckled when he coughed so hard he had to thump himself in the chest. “Yeah, and not like the warlock’s puppet whoever is in charge of France. We’re the government and have been. We have the next person set up that will be elected.”
“Wow, okay like…Wow.” He blew out a harsh breath. “What do you—how do you—what do you—”
“Breathe, Tracey,” I said gently as his mind practically imploded. I gave him a few minutes and a lot of deep breaths. “I’m thinking of a director position for you. Basically, what we need is someone with your skill setprotectedand able to have a team to do what you do but for all demons. That is how too many get trapped. You can’t live in this world without an ID, and there’s no help for them normally.
“It’s how too many get trapped. Yes, we’re getting them out now, but it’s—we just pulled twenty out of one vamp coven.” I nodded when he winced, having to look away. “They had no idea how to survive besides being kept as fucking dogs in dorms because otherwise they would end up in the human system for something and dead from not feeding. It’s all too rigged against demons.”
“You don’t have to tell me that or sell me on it, Jasmine. I’m one of the people who fell into the traps of that human system,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“If you had someone as knowledgeable as Tracey and a real team under him, you could have someone put into place in different embassies or different government shops who did nothing but approve papers,” Mason muttered, smiling as he did a double take. “Of course, that’s where your sexy mind was.”
I reached over and touched Tracey’s hand. “But we’re overloaded. We weren’t ready to come out yet and you have only seen a fraction of the attacks already going on against us. There was no good time to pull back the curtain, but we didn’t have a choice with the shit ISLE was pulling, and it was only going to get worse. So if I do this, I need to know you can take this over.
